[Ignition Barrel Wiring]

Hi all..

Would anyone happen to possess a wiring diagram for a 200TDi defender ignition barrel? After drilling out the shear bolts the barrel dropped pulling 2 cables out from the spade connections on the back..and now I don't know which way round they go! Plus, not knowing what they do I don't/didn't really want to connect it up and see what happens!!

Any help much appreciated!

Thanks,

Matt

[early 90 rear axle]

We don't get many early 90s here, but am I right in thinking that from 84 to 94 the rear Rover axle had drum brakes, like the 110?

Hi Jim,

I can't remember the year they changed to disc's but certainly 84-90 were drums.....hope that helps!

Matt

[Igntion Barrel Problems]

Hi All..

When leaving the pub last night, I tried starting my 90 and it would seem the ignition barrel has failed. You put the key in and the first few movements are ok, it turns the ignition on, the aftermarket immobiliser turns off etc. when you go to start the engine the key would normally move further round (to engage starter motor) and then back to the normal on/running position - with mine the key moves round further but nothing happens, if you give it a bit of a wiggle when going back to the on/normal running position it sometimes starts!

I am assuming the ignition barrel is at fault here, but you know what they say about assumption! If it is at fault, can anyone point me in the direction of a cheap source and maybe a tech thread on replacement?

Thanks,

Matt

[Bunny lane 27th Jan]

Thanks for that! had it been in there much longer I really don't think i'd have got it running again! as it turns out, i've done 2 oil changes tonight, one with some engine clearner, and its running perfect!! Going to do a few miles in it tomorrow and change the oil again then hopefully it'll be good for some more wading.........obviously after some further waterproofing!!

Thanks again!!

[Bunny lane 27th Jan]

Nice one matt, where did you fill your engine up with water?

As many photos as you can be bothered to send to photos@shirelrc.com please, when it comes to putting the newsletter together the more the merrier! If the files are big, sending several mails with a few on each may work better. Cheers!

No worries, will send over ASAP..

Managed to fill the engine up in one of the holes near the main "pit" wasn't too far from the vehicle with large mast so maybe he got some nice shots!!! we realised there was a slight issue when oil was being forced out the exhaust...... Looking at the vehicle the only place I can see where it would've gone in (water in place of oil, not air) is the breathers from the air box to the cylinder head and the sump. Everything else (snorkle, gearbox, axles etc etc) have extended breathers, but looks like the duck-bill valve on the end of the air box may have a small leak. Unless anyone else can suggest another way of water getting directly into my sump, pushing the oil out the exhast, but not causing enough damage to stop the engine??

As for the tyre coming off the rim........I knew I bought some staun beadlocks for some reason.....really should get round to fitting them!!!!!

[Bunny lane 27th Jan]

Great day out...although I did manage to fill my sump with nasty muddy water....!? so much so it was pushing the oil out of the exhaust!!

After a little trip home on the AA truck (told them i'd been greenlaning and had breaking issues) I drained out all the nasty creamy "oil" and changed the filter (knew i had a spare for some reason!) filled it back up with some very cheap diesel oil, started it and it seems to run fine!! Tested the oil after about 5 minutes of running and its still very very creamy, will try some of the oil additive cleaner stuff and give it another couple of oil changes before I take it anywhere!!

Anyway...here's some pic's; (the first is what it looked like when the AA turned up...after a bit os a scrub!)

..I was over the moon when this happened, had only been on site for 5 minutes!

do have some more if you want them fridge?

matt

[Bunny lane 27th Jan]

I'll be there! Haven't been to bunny lane for a good long while now... quite looking forward to it!!

See ya there!

Matt

[What's your 4x4 history]

4x4's...

LR 90 (is there anything else?)

Lancia Delta HF Integral EVO2

Non-4x4..

Renualt Clio (Sold)

Nissan Almera (Sold..thank god!)

Alfa Romeo GT

New Mini convertable (SWMBO's)

My other toys include..

125cc pit bike

Yamaha Super Jet 600cc Stand-up Jet Ski

Kawasaki 750cc SXi Stand-up Jet Ski (now pushing out over 100hp....it only weighs 120Kg's!!)

Brig Eagle 500TC Sports RIB

SWMBO's dad has a nice collection...Scammel Explorer, Classic Volvo Artic (used for transporting his 115yr old classic yacht!), S1 bought new by family, 1986 90 station waggon, lovely V8 110 and some others!

SWMBO is currently trying to get me to build her a pink rag-top 90....when she lets me have a workshop big enough she can have one!!

Really want to buy a nice S2 or S3 but just haven't got the room for it...........or the money!!

Thanks,

Matt

[Sticker Update]

6 for me please....and a couple of T shirts if possible! will send SAE...

Thanks,

matt

[Extended Arches]

That very much depends on what you can do and what you'd need others to do. I tripped over my axles ludicrously cheap and for some reason Jez agreed to help me build the truck so I had an adult on hand to glue the important bits together.

Assuming you don't have such good luck, the going rates seem to be:

Set of Volvos as removed from a C303 - £2250 (may be +/- a little due to gearing, the high ratio ones are rarer and can fetch more, the low ratio ones are worth a little less)

Portaltek disc kit is $3300 so about £1500 give or take with some P&P.

God knows how much for fitting, it's all down to what you're doing and how much you need to get done by others. I wouldn't bank on Jez having the free time to do a build until after the next Ladoga although IMHO it's worth getting someone with some experience to do it, I've seen more than one absolute shocker of an axle swap done by "professionals" that was just waiting to fall apart.

It all sounds a bit expensive until you price up a set of uprated Rovers, and remember that lots of people run 40" tyres on stock Volvos without issues.

Who's the luckyboy then!!

I think it may take me until after next Ladoga to save up for some portals!? I would only want someone with experiance to do the axle swap, don't think it's worth spending that sort of money unless its done right!!

It is definitely something I would like to fit in the future, was following you back from Slab Common (I was the idiot with my fog light on because my rear driving lights shorted out!) the profile of your truck looks fantastic! I would love to know how it performs on and off road, i've got about a million questions..maybe at the next shire event you might like a nice warm cup of tea and a few hobnobs in exchange for some portal wisdom?

[Extended Arches]

Thanks guys, for what it's worth I do my portals bigstyle, I'm still not as capable as a driver as the vehicle is

The only comment I'd make about the GPC arches is you need either a very long drill bit or a very pointy nosed drill to get the holes straight due to the flare of the arch, I ended up using a B&Q dremel style thing which worked but still wasn't perfect.

Hi Fridge,

If you don't mind my asking.....how much should one put aside for such a modification? just a rough estimate...hopefully it'll put me off for a bit longer!? Northern Chris did tempt me by mentioning Jez may have a set of 303 axles, already modified to go straight on a 90...but that was some time ago...

Thanks,

matt

[Extended Arches]

Oh how I would love portals! :wub:

[Threat to classic/older car's!]

the effect on the environment of producing a brand new toyota prius, is far greater than the effect of buying and keeping a 200tdi defender or disco on the road for an indefinite amount of time. with the advent of biofuels, this gap widens even more

but theyre hardly going to tell you that are they!

whatever happened to reduce, reuse, recycle? why buy a new car if one already on the road does the job as well or better. not to mention a lot of people, me included cannot afford to buy a brand new car of any size or type

I couldn't agree more, just goes to show quite how detached from reality our current government really is!!

Matt

[Threat to classic/older car's!]

Ladies and Gents,

Number 10 are considering restricting the use of classic/older vehicles, see extract below taken directly from the number 10 website...

"Several EU proposals across the years are dangerous to the classic car movement. One that has been under consideration is to ban the use of cars older than 10 years. Similarly, Edinburgh City Council is considering the banning of cars over 15 years old from the town centre. These, and similar, proposals directly threaten the classic car movement, and encourage the manufacture of new cars, with the attendent environmental issues of sourcing raw materials, manufacturing, distriuting and scrapping the spiralling supply of new vehicles."

You can sign an "e-petition" to reject any proposals to ban or restrict the use of older cars by clicking here: Classic Car Petition

Thanks,

Matt

[What battery charger?]

Matt, just a quicky to say I haven't ignored your post, but as I said before, I can't speak for Charles Stirling (never met the man etc).

I can guess, from what is on his web site, what he would say about attending big shows, and putting the cost of those shows onto the products he is selling, when he can get the business he wants through word of mouth recommendations.

I agree that if build work is sub-contracted anywhere, then quality control and checking is essential.

I've only spoken with Charles Stirling once, and can see why a negative perception has built up, but I can't judge the warranty situation, as I've only bought one product. It's done both what it said on the tin, and without problem for several years.

I appreciate you sharing your experience, as I'm sure others on the forum do.

Don't let me put you off!!

Cheers.

No harm done David! Its good sharing purchasing experiances (its certainly one thing the forum is very useful for!) and I always like to hear peoples perception of both our products, and sometimes more importantly our competitors.

Thanks,

Matt

[What battery charger?]

Matt,

Does the same apply to all batteries eg Optima?

Yes but probably not to the same extent, I don't know exactly what materials make up an Optima's plate but with Odyssey and Lifeline they use a 99.9% pure lead plate, which means the resistance is lower and therefore the point at which the alternator stops charging will be extended, but probably only to about 85-90%.

Thanks,

Matt

[Radius Arms]

Hi Jim and Tony,

Thanks for the comments, I actually had some 3 degree arms perviously before I changed my axles and the setup seemed to work well (but thanks for the offer to try a set jim) The main reason I wanted to know about the effect of using the 6 degree arms is because I know a mate that has some nice ones kicking around that I can buy fairly cheap, but saving £50 or so isn't worth having the worng suspension set up IMHO.

Thanks again guys!

Matt

[Battery question]

Thanks for all the replies,very helpful. To answer questions,it`s a red top Optima from Paddocks and it shows 11v . I think i`ll go for a refund rather than a replacement Optima as my confidence in them is a bit shattered. Am i wrong? two duff red tops received by nicksmelly also has made me think............any suggestions?

Personally I wouldn't use Optima, the technology went out with the ark! Both Odyssey and Concorde (manufacturers of Lifeline) were developing that technology in the early 80's, they both dropped the spiral wound cell design because independantly they both realised it was not the way forward! Nice to see Western's got himself some decent batteries! You really can't go wrong with Odyssey, I've got 1x PC2150 under my passenger seat in my 90, running lights and winch plus all the normal vehicle electrics, when I get round to fitting my rear winch I'll fit another PC2150 and have loads of power!!

If the optima is showing 11v its definitely suspect! a new AGM battery should show 12.8-12.9V after a full charge and long resting period (ideally for best results leave to rest for 3-4 hours, yes we are still talking about batteries not cakes!)

Thanks,

Matt

[What battery charger?]

The way round that would be to start charging at midnight and leave it charging for longer, perhaps upto when I start work, that way the bulk charging will be done off-peak. That would give a good compromise between economy and keeping the battery charged.

Would the Sinergex 10A unit be happy being switched on whilst the load is applied to the battery?

This Sinergex 10amp is not a charger I've used personally (because I can borrow our workshop chargers at work) but we haven't had back and we've sold a good number of them. All customer feedback has been extremely positive. It won't have a problem being connected with the load applied providing the load is stable (no large motors stopping and starting etc).

Thanks,

Matt

[What battery charger?]

Cheers Matt, I'm well familiar with the terminology, just curious as to where the goalposts were.

I use a deep cycle battery in my blast room for the lights and breathing air blower, safe if I hit one with a piece of metal and they stay on during a power cut. I draw 10 amps so my 110 Ah battery would be good for about 5 hours continuous use. With breaks to fill the pots (blast pot and teapot) this represents a leisurely days work.

I'd need to put 60 Ah back into the battery, the off-peak period lasts for 7 hours so the 10A Sinergex Pure Charge should do this for me.

I was suprised that difference between what you draw out and what you put back is only about 10% I thought it was nearer 50

Hi rtbarton,

Sounds as if you've got the right battery for the job, yes the Sinergex 10A unit should be fine, the only possible problem may be the batteries charge acceptance rate (I.e. the battery cannot accept that much power in that short time period) but you should be fine. They all start off well but like capacity retention, this also deteriorates with time.

Charging systems and batteries themselves have become much more efficient over time, 10% is pretty much the norm now but historically it has been much much worse!!

Thanks,

Matt

[Radius Arms]

Hi, I've recently changed my axles for 24spline versions and i now want to get some caster correction arms for the new axles (which are obviously 45mm rather than 38mm)

I'm running a 3inch lift at the moment, not really any plans to get any higher but certainly won't be going any lower!

I've looked at the QT versions and they offer 3 degree for 2 inch lifts and 6 degree correction for 4 inch lifts.

Which would be better to fit and why?

What problems could I run into with too much correction?

Has anyone else used 6 degree arms with a 3 inch lift?

What effect would running the 3 degree arms give? (On and off road)

What effect would running the 6 degree arms give? (On and off road)

Thanks for any advice given.

Matt.

[What battery charger?]

Matt,

Can you clear up the definition of Ampere-Hours as applied to a battery. Is it the ampere-hours the battery can supply before the output drops to a certain level, the ah until it is totally flat or the ah required to charge the battery from a certain level to fully charged &c &c &c ??

Hi rtbarton,

Amp hours are effectively how much power you have stored in the battery. If you have a 100A/H 12volt battery you effectively have 100A/H available to you. That means you could have a 1amp draw connected to the battery for 100hours and the battery would be 100% discharged at the end of it, however it is not recommended to discharge a battery further than 50% of its rated capacity, otherwise you drastically shorten the number of total cycles the battery can offer. See this graph for Lifeline AGM's

So your 100A/H battery only actually has 50 useable ampere-hours, ampere-hours are only really useful to someone who wants to run a piece of equipment for a length of time, the battery for this type of application would be known as a deep cycle battery, ideal for expedition vehicles. (See:Lifeline AGM Batteries)

If you want to start engines you need a starting battery, which will have a lower A/H capacity but much much higher CCA (cold cranking amps). (Small Odyssey Batteries)

Most normal batteries are somewhere between the two, known as a multi purpose battery. These are fine for starting your car and running the interior light and the radio for the short amount of time when you don't have the engine running. (See: Merlin Power Pack )

If you want to batteries for a winch challenge truck you need one that can produce extremely high instant power for getting winches going (High CCA) but also one that can withstand winching for a long time with the engine at idle (High A/H). The only battery that I have found able to do this effectively for a long period of time is the large batteries in the Odyssey range. (See: PC2150 and PC2250)

Batteries are also not an exact science, if you remove 9A/H's you will have to put 10 back in to be at the same level as you were before you removed 9!

You can find more info on battery technology here Battery Info Pack

I hope this is useful, if you have any other questions please don't hesitate to contact me!

Thanks,

Matt

[What battery charger?]

One of the C-Tek ones you recommeded sounds good, so if you can see what you can do that would be great

PM Sent.

Thanks,

Matt

[What battery charger?]

Hi Smo,

Ring only re-brand other peoples products, you will probably find thier product is a chinese copy of something like the C-Tek chargers (lots of poeple seem to be trying to copy these at the moment) The charging program will not be the same because C-Tek's engineers will have developed that in house, and there is no way they would sell the design to anyone else!! I don't know that much about Ring Chargers, but their inverters are just cheap chinese carp! manufactured by a company called Cotek in China.....can't imagine their chargers would be any/much better!! I suppose its like buying cars, many have the same features but you probably wouldn't buy the cheapest would you?

I can do you a good deal on a C-tek, might even be going into work this afternoon so could have a look for you then (if i remember!!)

If you just want a cheap intelligent charger then you can't beat the Sinergex Pure Charge, the program isn't as good as something like the C-tek or Fronius chargers but it is a proper multi stage charger that works out what the battery needs, rather then just running through the same old program again and again!

No charger should have any sort of switch that controls the charge rate, if the charger is any good it'll be able to work it out itself by sensing the batteries resistance and monitoring its ability to accept charge.

Thanks,

Matt

[What battery charger?]

I have had the same very cheap battery charger for a very long time time.

Surely if your battery is any good then the only time it will need charging is if you have left the lights on overnight.

If a battery stops holding its charge then what you need is a new battery, not a new charger.

I hope you are pleased with it?

Most of the time yes, the only time you will need to charge a battery is because you've left something on, but it does the battery good to be connected to a proper charger from time to time. Believe it or not but your standard alternator will not be able to charge the battery much past about 80-85%, this is because the alternator uses a "constant voltage-variable current" charging program, (I.e. it’s always trying to charge your battery at whatever the regulator is set to, normally 14.2-14.4, and the current fluctuates with the batteries state of charge) These intelligent chargers do this for their first stage of charge (known as the Bulk Stage) This stage is designed to get the batteries to 80-85% in the shortest time possible. They then move onto the Absorption Stage, which is designed to condition the battery and replenish the remaining 15-20%, this stage can take as long as the bulk stage did. Then they will drop into a float stage which keeps the battery fully charged buy compensating for the batteries self discharge rate. Some of them have an extra 4th stage which is called Power Supply, this enables the user to operate loads up to the rated output of the charger without flattening the battery.

You can buy special regulators for your alternator which turn it from a normal constant voltage-variable current charge into a 3 or 4 stage intelligent charging system, however unless you are building an expedition vehicle I really wouldn't bother. Just give you battery a good boost with a decent charger every once in a while and it'll last much longer! If you are building an expedition vehicle then it’s definitely worth considering, think how much longer your power will last if you've got 100% when you stop the engine instead of 80-85%!!!

Thanks,

Matt